A touchscreen is an electronic visual display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. A “touch” generally refers to a contact of the finger or hand with the display of the device. Touchscreens can also sense other passive or active objects, such as styli.
A touchscreen has two main attributes. First, it enables one to interact directly with what is displayed, rather than indirectly through a cursor controlled by a mouse or touchpad. Second, it lets one do so without requiring any intermediate device that would otherwise need to be held in the hand. Touchscreens can be attached to computers, or to networks as terminals. They also play a prominent role in the design of digital appliances such as personal digital assistants (“PDAs”), personal media players (“PMPs”), satellite navigation devices, mobile phones, and video games.
Touchscreens are increasingly being used with computers or computer “pads” that implement typical “office” applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, etc. The touch functionality can sometimes enhance the user experience of these applications.